The navel orangeworm (NOW), Amyelois transitella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a major insect pest in California affecting fruit e.g., figs, pomegranate, and also tree nuts e.g., almonds, pistachio. Feeding damage by NOW larvae lowers nut kernel quality resulting in extensive economic loss to the almond industry. Moreover, feeding damage directly contributes to contamination by ubiquitous fungi of tree nut orchards such as e.g., Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus, which are capable of producing aflatoxins—a serious food safety problem due to their carcinogenic and teratogenic attributes (see e.g., Campbell et al., 2003; Robens and Cardwell, 2003). Thus, nuts infested with navel orangeworm are unmarketable and cost the tree nut industry dearly.
Therefore, what is needed in the art are effective means for monitoring and controlling navel orangeworm moth and in turn reducing the damage caused by navel orangeworm infestation.
Fortunately, as will be clear from the following disclosure, the present invention provides for these and other needs.